I paid for a blood test out-of-pocket, though Health Check USA because I was wondering if my difficulty losing weight was due to a thyroid problem.

The problem is that I have my results, but I'm confused as to how to interpret the results. Based on what I've read, my T4 seems okay, but my T3 is low. Can someone tell me if my results justify making a doctor appointment? My annual exam isn't until May of next year.

Well, I don't know how you Feel but if those were my results, I'd probably feel pretty bad. Many of us usually feel better if we're closer to 1.0 or under for TSH. Your FT3 is .1 above the Bottom of the range, that's Really low - midrange is 3.2. FT3 is our energy. Many people feel better when it's at least mid-range, if not higher. The FT4 is also low, mid-range is 1.11 for that range.

Sophie-
The official 'cut off' for hypothyroid is a TSH of 3.0 or above. HOWEVER, most good thyroid doctors will treat someone like you with a TSH above 2.0 who also has symptoms. The key is 'good' thyroid doctor--they are hard to find.

To give some background for why doctors can be difficult about thyroid--they are 'monitored' by insurance companies, and a doctor who prescribes outside of the 'official' parameters can get into trouble with the AMA.

The problem is that insurance companies want to adhere exactly to numbers and consider only TSH. A good thyroid doctor understands that a person's lab results often don't reflect the actual condition of the thyroid. I was initially diagnosed with 'normal seeming' labs--which my endo said is very common and called 'sub-clinical hypothyroidism.' At the time, I had very severe symptoms. I was fortunate to find a good endo because my primary doctor had told me for over 5 years that I was 'fine,' although my symptoms constantly progressed. He attributed it all to 'normal aging.'

That's another problem with thyroid diagnosis. Since the symptoms vary by individual and are often 'vague' when reported to a doctor--e.g., my major symptom was crushing fatigue, which I knew was not normal for me. But he saw an overweight, menopausal woman and just assumed that I was more 'tired' than I was used to being because of my weight and age. Hence, doctors tend to ignore symptoms and rely on labs.

Sophie-
The official 'cut off' for hypothyroid is a TSH of 3.0 or above. HOWEVER, most good thyroid doctors will treat someone like you with a TSH above 2.0 who also has symptoms. The key is 'good' thyroid doctor--they are hard to find.

To give some background for why doctors can be difficult about thyroid--they are 'monitored' by insurance companies, and a doctor who prescribes outside of the 'official' parameters can get into trouble with the AMA.

The problem is that insurance companies want to adhere exactly to numbers and consider only TSH. A good thyroid doctor understands that a person's lab results often don't reflect the actual condition of the thyroid. I was initially diagnosed with 'normal seeming' labs--which my endo said is very common and called 'sub-clinical hypothyroidism.' At the time, I had very severe symptoms. I was fortunate to find a good endo because my primary doctor had told me for over 5 years that I was 'fine,' although my symptoms constantly progressed. He attributed it all to 'normal aging.'

That's another problem with thyroid diagnosis. Since the symptoms vary by individual and are often 'vague' when reported to a doctor--e.g., my major symptom was crushing fatigue, which I knew was not normal for me. But he saw an overweight, menopausal woman and just assumed that I was more 'tired' than I was used to being because of my weight and age. Hence, doctors tend to ignore symptoms and rely on labs.

Thanks for your response! I found an Osteopathic Dr. who I hear looks beyond the "typical/normal range", so I'm hopeful that she will be a good person to start with.